Pasco, WA Tree Protection: Tree Removal Permits (2026)

Pasco's tree-protection requirements live in Chapter 12.12 (Trees and Shrubs) of the Pasco Municipal Code and apply chiefly to trees in public spaces. PMC 12.12.080 (Permission to remove trees or substantially prune trees) requires the city's permission to remove or heavily prune trees in the public planting strip or right-of-way, and PMC 12.12.050 covers permission to plant or substantially prune. PMC 12.12.150 prohibits damaging, destroying or mutilating any tree, shrub or plant in a public planting strip or other public place. Under PMC 12.12.030, the abutting property owner is responsible for maintaining vegetation in the public right-of-way, and owners may trim or remove trees and plants in their own planting strip in accordance with the chapter. For trees entirely on private property, Pasco's published code does not establish a citywide significant-tree or permit-to-remove program of the kind some larger Washington cities maintain, so healthy private-yard trees can generally be removed without a city tree permit (HOA covenants may differ). Important verification note: online "residential tree removal permit" forms referencing SB 518, lot clearing, a Land Development Code, or PascoGateway are from Pasco County, Florida, not Pasco, Washington, and do not apply here. Confirm any tree's right-of-way status with the city before removal.